Focus on for new Rx class for inflamed disorders discovered

Research led by Charles Nichols, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmacology at LSU Health Sciences Middle New Orleans, describes a powerful new anti-inflammatory mechanism that could lead to the introduction of new oral medications for atherosclerosis and inflammatory bowel disorders (IBS). The findings are published in PLOS ONE . Among the master inflammatory molecules in the body is usually Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Bacterial infections and certain diseases lead to the production of this molecule, which then stimulates an immune response. Diseases like atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and IBS are believed to have inflammation influenced by TNF-alpha as a primary component. Unfortunately, you can find no convenient therapeutics to treat irritation caused by TNF-alpha. Current therapies directed at blocking TNF-alpha inflammation are very costly antibody treatments that are administered within the clinic. The research team found that activation of serotonin 5-HT2A receptor proteins potently blocks TNF-alpha induced inflammation. The serotonin 5-HT2A receptor is the major target of classic hallucinogenic medications like LSD, and the drug the particular researchers used to activate the receptor protein is itself a member of the class. In the study, the experts activated serotonin 5-HT2A receptors, then administered TNF-alpha to mice to produce an inflammatory response. In mice when 5-HT2A receptors were activated before TNF-alpha was a...
Source: My Irritable Bowel Syndrome Story - Category: Other Conditions Authors: Tags: IBS News Source Type: blogs